Issa Tries to Make Up for 9/11 Remark

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) learned this week that feelings over 9/11 are still raw in New York.

The Californian is facing criticism from firefighters, relatives of 9/11 victims and fellow Republican Rep. Peter King (N.Y.) for comments they saw as downplaying the attacks.

Issa, during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on benefits for terror victims, said that 9/11 involved "a fire that had no dirty bomb in it," according to the Associated Press.

"It had no chemical munitions in it," he continued. "It simply was an aircraft, residue of two aircraft and residue of the material used to build this building."

He then asked "why the firefighters who went there and everyone in the city of New York needs to come to the federal government for the dollars versus, quite frankly, this being primarily a state consideration."

King, who represents a portion of Long Island, told the New York Daily News that Issa surprised him.

"New York was attacked by al Qaeda," King said. "It doesn't have to be attacked by Congress."

Issa said in a statement Wednesday that he "continues to support federal assistance for 9/11 victims," though Issa has opposed reopening an expired compensation fund for victims that's already given out $7 billion.